From: Jim West (jwest@highland.net)
Date: Sun Jan 11 1998 - 17:03:04 EST
At 12:33 PM 1/11/98 +0000, you wrote:
>Greetings, fellow B-Greekers:
>
>I have a question regarding the Greek phrase DIA PISTEWS IHSOU
>XRISTOU which could be translated "through faith OF Jesus Christ" in
>Rom. 3:22a. Does the fact that the name of the Lord is in the
>genitive case indicate that Christians are actually justified
>(reckoned righteous) by *Christ's faith* (the faith that He Himself
>possessed while He lived in this world),
Absolutely correct. See, for instance Luther's brilliant commentary ad loc.
Besides, even if you take the phrase as an ablative it would still have to
be translated ""through faith from Christ..."
>rather than through their
>own exercising of the faith that God has given them? I have heard
>people use this passage to prove that the faith of Christ itself is
>actually the faith whereby believers are justified, as opposed to any
>personal believing on their own part.
Any "personal believing" on their part is still, according to the disciple
of Paul who penned Ephesians, a gift and not something they themselves have
acheived. (Eph 2:8-9).
>But I have a problem with such
>a view, since it would seem to negate other NT passages that speak of
>the believers themselves doing the believing (e.g., Eph. 1:13).
>
Then, if your reading of Eph 1:13 is correct, the author contradicts himself
in 2:8-9.
>Any thoughts? Is there possibly another meaning to be understood from
>the use of the genitive in this phrase?
>
Not likely.
>Sola Gratia,
>
>Jeremy
Jim
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
Adjunct Professor of Bible
Quartz Hill School of Theology
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